Freebie U2 album cost Apple $100 million

The freebie album U2 released during the iPhone 6 launch reportedly cost Apple $100 million. The band made a deal with Apple to release the album for free, which ironically didn’t please ALL iTunes users because the album just appeared on everyone’s accounts without an option to remove the tracks in the library.

Billboard reveals that Apple paid the band over $100 million for the album, “Songs of Innocence.” Apple reportedly uploaded the album to 500 million iPhone, iPod and iTunes accounts around the world on Tuesday.

U2’s manager Guy Oseary told Billboard: “U2 worked five years on this album, they poured blood, sweat, tears into project, and we were really confident with it. The goal was, how do we reach as many as possible? U2 first worked with Apple nearly 10 years to the day when they were sharing a stage with Steve Jobs and launching their iPod with many fewer accounts, and here we are 10 years later with Apple gifting this album to 7 percent of the planet.”